VICIOUS
AND VOCAL VOLITION OF THE MAN OF SIN
And the king shall do according to his will; and he
shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall
speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper
till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined
shall be done [Dan. 11:36].
At
this point history ends and prophecy begins. The text passes from a
vile person to a vicious character, moving over a bridge of
unmeasured time. Antiochus Epiphanes was certainly a contemptible
person, but he could not measure up to the king described in verses
36–39. Antiochus was an adumbration of Antichrist, and I believe
that this passage of Scripture thus indicates that Antichrist will
rise out of the geographical bounds of the ancient Grecian Empire.
There will be a political Antichrist, the one who is
mentioned here, a Gentile raised out of the Roman Empire. There will
also be a religious Antichrist who will pretend to be Christ and who
will arise out of the land of Israel—he will be like a wolf in
sheep’s clothing.
Antichrist is given many names in Scripture. J. Dwight
Pentecost, in his book Things to Come (p. 334), gives a list
of names compiled by Arthur W. Pink (The Antichrist, pp.
59–75) which are applicable to Antichrist: “The Bloody and
Deceitful Man (Ps. 5:6), the Wicked One (Ps. 10:2–4), the Man of
the Earth (Ps. 10:18), the Mighty Man (Ps. 52:1), the Enemy (Ps.
55:3), the Adversary (Ps. 74:8–10), the Head of Many Countries (Ps.
111:6 [sic]), the Violent Man (Psalm 140:1), the Assyrian (Isa.
10:5–12), the King of Babylon (Isa. 14:2), the Sun [sic] of the
Morning (Isa. 14:12), the Spoiler (Isa. 16:4–5; Jer. 6:26), the
Nail (Isa. 22:25), the Branch of the Terrible Ones (Isa. 25:5), the
Profane Wicked Prince of Israel (Ezek. 21:25–27), the Little Horn
(Dan. 7:8), the Prince that shall come (Dan. 9:26), the Vile Person
(Dan. 11:21), the Willful King (Dan. 11:36), the Idol Shepherd (Zech.
11:16–17), the Man of Sin (2 Thess. 2:3), the Son of Perdition (2
Thess. 2:3), the Lawless one (2 Thess. 2:8), the Antichrist (1 John
2:22), the Angels [sic] of the Bottomless Pit (Rev. 9:11), the Beast
(Rev. 11:7; 13:1). To these could be added: the One Coming in His Own
Name (John 5:43), the King of Fierce Countenance (Dan. 8:23), the
Abomination of Desolation (Matt. 24:15), the Desolator (Dan. 9:27).”
“The king shall do according to his will.”
Antichrist is self–willed. How contrary this is to the Lord Jesus
Christ who said, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I
judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but
the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30).
“He shall exalt himself.” The little horn (the name
given to Antichrist in ch. 7) tries to be a big horn. Again, how
unlike the Lord Jesus this is! Paul wrote of Him: “Let this mind be
in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of
no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross” (Phil 2:5–8).
“And magnify himself above every god.” In 2
Thessalonians 2:4 Paul wrote of the Antichrist: “Who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;
so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that
he is God.” And in Revelation 13:8 we are also told: “And all
that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world.”
It is blasphemous rebellion against God which marks the
willful king as the final and logical expression of humanism. He is
the typical representative of that which is against God and that
which is our old nature: “Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom.
8:7–8). The carnal mind of men will turn to the Antichrist. When
men choose their own rulers and leaders, what kind of man do they
choose? Generally it is one who is like they are, and that is the
reason we are getting such sorry leaders in the world today. The
leadership of the world is frightful—they are the kind of folk we
picked out. God has said right here in the Book of Daniel that He
would set over the kingdoms of this world the basest of rulers.
“And shall prosper till the indignation be
accomplished.” The willful king will be successful at first and for
a brief time. God will permit this to come to pass during the last
half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.1
Chapter Eleven
Daniel 11:1–35
A Remarkable Prophecy—Part
1
Fulfilled
prophecy is one of the proofs of the inspiration of the Bible, for
only an omniscient God can know future events accurately and direct
His servants to write them down. “He reveals deep and secret
things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him”
(Dan. 2:22, nkjv). It is no surprise, then, that the radical critics
have attacked the Book of Daniel, and especially these chapters,
because they claim that nobody could write in advance so many
accurate details about so many people and events. Their “scientific
conclusion” is that the Book of Daniel is a fraud; it was written
centuries after these events, and therefore is not a book of prophecy
at all. These critics can’t deny the historicity of the events,
because the records are in the annals of ancient history for all to
read and cannot be denied. Therefore, to maintain their “scientific
theories,” they must deny the reality of prophecy. Those of us who
believe in a great God have no problem accepting “the word of
prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19–21).
First, we will consider the verses that were prophecy in
Daniel’s day but have been fulfilled and are now ancient history.
As we do, we will try to glean some practical spiritual lessons to
help us in our Christian walk today.
1. Prophecies about Persia (Dan. 11:1–2)
It’s likely that verse 1 should be at the end of the
previous chapter since it deals with the holy angels’ conflict with
Satan’s angels. The rulers of Persia had no idea that Satan was
seeking to control their minds and lead them into making decisions
that would hurt the people of God. The Persian rulers were much more
considerate of the Jews than were the Babylonian rulers, and Satan
didn’t want this to happen. He hates the Jews and is the father of
anti-Semitism wherever it is found (Rev. 12). However, Michael and
Gabriel won that battle and Darius and Cyrus showed compassion for
the Jewish exiles. In fact, it was Cyrus who issued the important
edict that permitted the Jews to return to their land and rebuild
their temple (Ezra 1:1–4).
The four kings that would rule in the future were
Cambyses (529–522), Pseudo-Smerdis (522–521), Darius I Hystapes
(521–486), and Xerxes (496–465), the Ahasuerus of the Book of
Esther.
Cambyses was the son and successor of Cyrus the Great,
and perhaps is the Ahasuerus of Ezra 4:6. His passionate ambition was
to invade Egypt and regain the territory that Nebuchadnezzar had
gained but that was later lost. Cambyses manufactured an excuse for
the war, saying that he had asked for the hand in marriage of one of
the Egyptian princesses but had been rejected by her father. He did
conquer Egypt, but when he tried to take Ethiopia and Carthage, he
failed miserably and had to retreat. He ruled Egypt with an iron hand
and gave every evidence of being insane. He married two of his
sisters, murdered his brother and heir Smerdis, and then murdered the
sister who protested the murder of the brother. One of the leading
Persian priests plotted an insurrection and seized the throne, taking
the name of the dead prince. (Historians call him Pseudo-Smerdis.)
Cambyses died while marching home to unseat the new king, who reigned
for about a year.
But the most important of the four kings, and the
wealthiest, was Xerxes I, the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther. He
ruled an empire that reached from Ethiopia to India and he had a
great passion to conquer Greece. In 480 he tried to invade Greece,
but his vast fleet was defeated at Salamis and Samos, and his army
was defeated at Plataea. All of this occurred between chapters 1 and
2 of the Book of Esther. He came home a bitter and angry man and
sought to find relief for his wounded pride by enjoying his harem. It
was at this time that Esther entered the picture. Xerxes was
assassinated in August 465.
2. Prophecies about Greece (Dan. 11:3–4)
From the previous visions, Daniel already knew the
sequence of the great empires.
The
image (chap. 2)
Vision
(chap. 7)
Vision
(chap. 8)
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Babylon—head
of gold
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lion
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medo-Persia—arms
and chest of silver
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bear
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ram
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Greece—belly
and thigh of bronze
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leopard
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goat
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Rome—legs
of iron, feet of clay
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terrible
beast
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The mighty king of 11:3 is, of course, Alexander the
Great, who was determined to punish the Persians for Xerxes’
invasion. We have already met Alexander and know about his vast army
and his lightning-like conquest of the nations. Indeed, he did what
he pleased and nobody could stand in his way. In 332, Alexander
defeated the Persians and in 323 he died and his kingdom was divided
among four of his generals.
Once again, Alexander’s incredible conquests were part
of the sovereign plan of God. The spread of the Greek language and
Greek culture assisted in the eventual spread of the Gospel and the
Greek New Testament. Alexander’s goal was not just to conquer
territory but to bring people together in a “united empire.” His
soldiers married women from the conquered nations, and Alexander’s
empire became a “melting pot” for all peoples. This too assisted
in the spread of the Gospel centuries later.
3. The kings of the north and the south (Dan.
11:5–20)
The nations here are Egypt (south) and Syria (north),
and the rulers change regularly. The little nation of Israel was
caught between these two great powers and was affected by their
conflicts. All of these people and events may not be interesting to
you, but the prophecies Daniel recorded tally with the record of
history, thus proving that God’s Word can be trusted. The Ptolemy
line provided the rulers in Egypt, and the Seleucid line the rulers
in the north (Syria). These paragraphs are merely summary statements,
but if you read them in the light of the related verses, you will see
how Daniel’s prophecies were fulfilled. Along with reading your
kjv, you may also want to read these verses in the nasb or the niv.
V. 5—Ptolemy I Soter and Seleucus I Nicator.
Seleucus was the stronger of the two and ruled over a large empire,
but it was his alliance with Ptolemy that enabled him to seize the
throne of Syria.
V. 6—Ptolemy II Philadelphus and Antiochus II
Theos. As was often done in the days of monarchies, the rulers
used marriage as a means of forming strong political alliances, a
policy Solomon had followed (1 Kings 3:1; 11:1ff). However, Ptolemy
demanded that Antiochus divorce his wife Laodice in order to marry
his daughter Berenice. Ptolemy died after two years, so Seleucus took
back his former wife, who then murdered both him and Berenice. It was
one marriage where they all didn’t live happily ever after. “She
will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last”
(Dan. 11:6, niv).
Vv. 7–9—Ptolemy III Euergetes and Seleucus II
Callinicus. The new king of Egypt was the brother of Berenice,
and he was intent on defending his sister’s honor and avenging her
death. He attacked the northern power, won the victory, and collected
a great deal of wealth. Then the two kings ignored each other for
some years until Seleucus attacked Egypt in 240, was defeated, and
had to return home in shame. He was killed by a fall from his horse
and his son Seleucus III Soter took the throne, only to be
assassinated four years later. Antiochus III the Great, who ruled
from 223 to 187, succeeded him.
Vv. 10–19—Ptolemy IV Philopater and Antiochus III
the Great. The sons of Seleucus II were Seleucus III, who was a
successful general but was killed in battle, and Antiochus III the
Great, who carried out the Syrian military program with great skill.
He regained lost territory from Egypt, but in 217 the Egyptian army
defeated the Syrians. This didn’t stop Antiochus, for he took his
army east and got as far as India.
In 201, Antiochus mustered another large army, joined
forces with Philip V of Macedon, and headed for Egypt (vv. 13–16),
where he won a great victory against Ptolemy V Epiphanes. Contrary to
God’s law, but in fulfillment of the prophecies (vision), some of
the Jews in Palestine joined with Antiochus, hoping to break free of
Egyptian control; but their revolt was crushed (v. 14). Antiochus not
only conquered Egypt and Sidon (v. 15), but also “the glorious
land” of Palestine (v. 16).
Once again marriage enters the scene. Antiochus offered
to negotiate with the Egyptian leaders and to marry his daughter
Cleopatra I to Ptolemy V, who was seven years old at the time! He
hoped that his daughter would undermine the Egyptian government from
within and use her position to help him take over. However, Cleopatra
was loyal to her husband, so the marriage stratagem didn’t succeed.
Antiochus decided to attack Greece but was defeated at
Thermopylae (191) and Magnesia (189). The “prince on his own
behalf” (v. 18) was the Roman consul and general Lucius Cornelius
Scipio Asiaticus who led the Roman and Greek forces to victory over
Antiochus. At an earlier meeting, Antiochus had insulted the Roman
general, but the Romans had the last word. The Syrian leader died in
187 and his successor was his son Seleucus IV Philopator, who
oppressed the Jewish people by raising taxes so he could pay tribute
to Rome. Shortly after he sent his treasurer Heliodorus to plunder
the Jewish temple, Seleucus Philopator suddenly died (probably
poisoned), thus fulfilling verse 20. This opened the way for the
wicked Antiochus Epiphanes to seize the throne.
As you review the history of the relationship between
Egypt and Syria, and the family relationships among the Seleucids,
you can’t help but realize that human nature hasn’t changed over
these thousands of years. The ancient world had its share of
intrigue, political deception, violence, greed, and war. The lust for
power and wealth drove men and women to violate human rights and
break divine laws, to go to any length to get what they wanted. They
slaughtered thousands of innocent people, plundered the helpless, and
even killed their own relatives, just to wear a crown or sit on a
throne.
While God is not responsible for the evil that men and
women have done in the name of government and religion, He is still
the Lord of history and continues to work out His plans for mankind.
Studying the evil deeds of past rulers could make us cynical, but we
must remember that one day “the earth shall be filled with the
knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea”
(Hab. 2:14).2
2. Daniel’s Vision of the Seventy Weeks (9:20–27)
9:20–23. While Daniel was still praying, the
angel Gabriel appeared for a second time in the book of Daniel
(8:16). Here he is called a man, not an angel, because he
appeared in human form. He arrived at about the time when the
evening offering would have been offered had the temple still
stood, or between 3 and 4 p.m. Gabriel came immediately in response
to Daniel’s fervent and humble prayer because God highly
esteemed Daniel.
9:24. The vision Gabriel recounted referred to a
sum total of seventy weeks, which some have interpreted as a
symbolic number. However, in the context, at the opening of the
chapter, Daniel recognized that the 70-year captivity referred to
literal time (9:2). Therefore, it is more likely that the 70 weeks
also refer to a literal number.
The word weeks in Hebrew refers to a unit of
seven, or a heptad, with its meaning determined by the context.
Sometimes it refers to a period of seven days but here it denotes a
period of seven years. The reasons for this are (1) that in this
context Daniel was concerned with years not days (9:2); (2) that in
the Hebrew of Dn 10:2–3, Daniel specified that he was fasting for
“three entire weeks” to distinguish from the weeks of years
described in the previous paragraph (9:24–27); (3) that the broken
covenant of the 70th week leaves three and one-half
periods of desolation and destruction, and this amount of time is
described as three and one-half years in parallel passages (7:25;
12:7; Rv 12:14).
Why did the message of the angel, pertaining to 490
future years, come when Daniel was pondering the end of the 70-year
captivity? Judah’s captivity lasted 70 years because the nation had
failed to keep the sabbatical rest of the land 70 times (Lv 26:34–35,
43). Thus, 70 years of captivity provided the land with the 70
Sabbatical rests it had missed (2Ch 36:21). Therefore, the context of
Daniel’s considerations was not merely the 70-year captivity but
the cause of that length of time, namely, 70 weeks of years (i.e.,
490 years) when the land had not experienced its rest. While Daniel’s
prayer was focused on the past period of 70 weeks of years and the
end of the 70-year captivity, the angel came with a message about the
future, also about a period of 70 weeks of years. (See the chart
“Daniel’s Vision of the 70 Weeks.”)
By the completion of the 490-year period, six objectives
would be accomplished in a comprehensive way. The first three
objectives pertain to dealing with sin: first, finishing
transgression refers to bringing an end to Israel’s history
of rebellion against God; making an end of sin brings it to a
halt by final judgment; and making atonement for iniquity
refers to the Messiah’s once for all death for sin. The final three
relate to consummating prophetic events by bringing in a kingdom of
everlasting righteousness, fulfilling all vision and
prophecy, and setting apart the most holy place (lit., the
holy of holies), referring to a yet future, literal, millennial
temple (cf. Ezk. 40–48). All six of the purposes will be fulfilled
completely for Israel by the time of the return of the Messiah and
the establishment of the messianic kingdom.
9:25. The first part of the prophecy predicts
that from a particular future starting point until the coming of the
Messiah the Prince, there would be 69 weeks of years. The
Hebrew word mashiach (Messiah) is commonly and
accurately translated as “anointed.” It is used 39 times in the
Hebrew Bible, generally with another noun, such as “the anointed
priest.” The word also has a technical meaning, commonly translated
as “the Messiah” and defined by W. H. Rose as “a future royal
figure sent by God who will bring salvation to God’s people and the
world and establish a kingdom characterized by features such as peace
and justice” (W. H. Rose, “Messiah,” in Dictionary of the
Old Testament: Pentateuch, edited by T. Desmond Alexander and
David W. Baker [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2003], 566).
Although some believe that the term did not develop this technical
meaning until after the close of the OT canon, this is not so.
Besides its specialized usage here and in 9:26, there are at least 10
other OT passages that use the technical term “Messiah” (1Sm
2:10, 35; 2Sm 22:51; 23:1; Pss 2:2; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; 89:51; Hab
3:13; see Michael Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope: Is the Old
Testament Really Messianic? [Nashville: B&H Publishers,
2010], 2–3). Here the Messiah has the additional title, “the
Prince.” The Hebrew word means “ruler” or “leader” and
derives from the idea of “one who goes before.”
Some have argued (Pate and Haines, Doomsday
Delusions, 73) that the word “anointed” cannot have a
technical messianic sense in this context since it lacks the definite
article. They have also maintained that the word “anointed” is
more suitable for describing a priest (Lv 4:3). Furthermore, they
assert that the word “prince” is also used of a priest (Neh
11:11; Jr 20:1). Thus, they conclude that this verse refers to
Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest after the captivity.
However, in Hebrew, proper nouns, names, or titles such
as “Anointed One” or “Messiah” need not have the article.
Furthermore, the Hebrew word mashiach was not used of a high
priest “beyond the Mosaic period and whenever it was used it was
always clarified by juxtaposition with the word ‘priest’ ”
(J. Paul Tanner, “Is Daniel’s Seventy-Weeks Prophecy Messianic?
Part 2” BibSac 166 [July–Sept 2009], 323)—like “the
anointed priest.” And while the word “prince” may be used of a
priest, it is a rare usage (only three of 43 times). In fact, it is
used in a prediction of the coming Messiah in Is 55:4. For these
reasons, throughout the history of interpretation, overwhelmingly,
the Church has understood “mashiach nagid” to refer to the
Messiah the Prince. Ancient Judaism also understood this passage as
messianic. According to the Talmud (AD sixth-century rabbinic
writing), when, in the first century BC, Jonathon ben Uzziel wanted
to write a Targum (paraphrastic commentary) on the Writings
(including Daniel), it was said that the Bat Kol (voice of heaven)
stopped him, because Daniel contained the fixed date of Messiah’s
coming (Megillah 3a). Although this is merely a legendary account, it
demonstrates that ancient Rabbis interpreted Dn 9:24–27 as of the
Messiah. It seems that only tendentious interpretation, seeking to
avoid the messianic understanding, explains it otherwise.
The starting point of the prophecy is from the
issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Some
scholars who seek to minimize the messianic predictions of the OT
maintain that the word “decree” is literally “word” and
therefore refers to Jeremiah’s prophetic word (Jr 30:18–22;
31:38–40) issued in 587 BC about Jerusalem’s restoration (Pate
and Haines, Doomsday Delusion, 72–73). This would see the
fulfillment in 538 BC with Joshua the high priest under Zerubbabel.
However, the Hebrew word for “decree” is debar, which
means “a word” or “thing.” In this context, it is used in the
general sense of a word from a king, i.e., a decree, and in no
way requires the interpretation of a “word” from the Lord or a
prophet. Second, the passages cited from Jeremiah do not refer to the
return from captivity but are eschatological, looking forward to the
end-time restoration of Israel. Third, it is entirely arbitrary to
choose 587 BC as the date that Jeremiah gave his oracle. In fact,
even if Dn 9:25 referred to Jeremiah’s prophetic word, the dating
in Jr 29:1–3 indicates that the year was 597 BC, making the
proposed fulfillment ten years late. Finally, at the outset of this
chapter, it is clear that Daniel does not have these verses from
Jeremiah in view but rather, Jr 25:11–13; 29:10, which speak of a
70-year, not a 49-year captivity.
Among those who interpret this passage as referring to
Messiah, some identify this with Cyrus’s decree allowing the
captives to return (2Ch 36:22–23; Ezr 1:1–3) in 539/538 BC and
interpret the 69 weeks of years symbolically. Thus, the period of
time from the decree until the coming of the Messiah is merely
described as a symbolic length of time. Three factors make this
interpretation especially problematic. First, Cyrus’s decree was
for the captives to return to the Holy Land from Persia, not for the
restoration of Jerusalem. Second, Daniel understands Jeremiah’s
prediction of the 70 years of captivity to be literal years and so
calls into doubt treating these numbers symbolically. Third, there
would be no significance to this prediction since any amount of time
could be used to fulfill it.
Others suggest that the starting point is Artaxerxes’
first decree in 457 BC (Ezr 7:11–26) and calculate that the 69
weeks (483 years) were fulfilled at Jesus’ baptism, when He began
His public ministry. However, this particular decree only provided a
call for more exiles to return, the restoration of the temple’s
utensils, and permission to appoint civil leaders (Ezk 7:11–26). It
did include the most essential element mentioned here, namely, a
decree for the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The most likely starting point was Artaxerxes’ second
decree in 444 BC, authorizing Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of
Jerusalem (Neh 2:1–8). This decree fits the requirement of the
prediction since it was indeed for the restoration of Jerusalem.
Moreover, the restoration was carried out in times of distress
just as Daniel predicted (v. 25) and Nehemiah described (Neh
4:1–6:14).
The calculation of the prophecy is as follows: There
will be a period of seven weeks of years (49 years) followed
by sixty-two weeks of years (434 years), making a total of 69
weeks of years or 483 years from the decree until the coming of
Messiah the Prince. The seven-week period (49 years) most
likely pertains to the time it actually took from the issuing of the
decree until the restoration of Jerusalem. The total of 483 years (69
weeks) should be calculated as specific biblical/prophetic years of
360 days each. The starting point of the prophecy would have begun on
Nisan 1 (March 5), 444 BC, followed by 69 weeks of 360 day years or
173,880 days, and culminated on Nisan 10 (March 30), AD 33, the date
of Jesus the Messiah’s triumphal entry (Lk 19:28–40) (cf. Harold
W. Hoehner, “Daniel’s Seventy Weeks and New Testament
Chronology,” in Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ
[Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1977], 115–139).
Those who seek to reject the messianic interpretation
deny that the seven weeks and the 62 weeks are
consecutive, totaling 69 weeks of years. Rather, they maintain that a
Hebrew disjunctive accent mark (called an athnach) requires
the two periods to be concurrent. Then, they date the beginning of
the 62 weeks in 605 BC and see its fulfillment 434 years (62×7)
later in 171 BC when Onias III, the high priest was murdered (Pate
and Haines, Doomsday Delusions, 73).
In response, it seems that they build far too much on an
extremely small accent. First, the Hebrew accents were added quite
late—AD 800–1000—and were not part of the inspired Hebrew text.
Second, the ancient versions (LXX, Theodotion, Symmachus, the
Peshitta, Syriac, Vulgate) do not reflect the disjunctive accent
found in the Hebrew text but treat the seven- and 62-week periods as
a single period of 69 weeks. Third, although the scribes who added
the accents and vowels faithfully followed Jewish tradition, it is
likely that in the Rabbinic and Church Fathers eras (second-third
centuries AD), polemical interaction between Christians and Jews over
the messiahship of Jesus led to the adaptation of the Jewish
understanding of messianic texts such as this one. It is likely that,
at that time, Jewish interpreters added the disjunctive accent to
avoid the identification of Jesus as Messiah the Prince. Several
centuries later, Jewish scribes, seeking to consolidate the Hebrew
text, incorporated the accent as the tradition that they received
into the Hebrew Bible as it stands now (Roger T. Beckwith, “Daniel
9 and the Date of Messiah’s Coming in Essene, Hellenistic,
Pharisaic, Zealot and Early Christian Computation,” Revue de
Qumrani 10 [1979–81]: 541); Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope,
35–36). Thus, it is better to view, with all the ancient versions,
the seven- and 62-week periods as one single 69-week period. The
reason the 69 weeks were divided into two continuous periods was to
recognize the purpose of the original decree (to restore and
rebuild Jerusalem) and identify the completion of the rebuilding
of Jerusalem at the end of the seven weeks of years.
9:26. The second feature of the prophecy is to
predict several events that would follow the seven weeks and the
sixty-two weeks (or the total of 69 weeks). First, the
Messiah would be cut off, a prediction of the death of the
Messiah. Thus, the book of Daniel, written in the sixth century BC,
contains predictions not only of the precise date of the Messiah’s
coming (9:25) but also of the Messiah’s death sometime before the
destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. This was fulfilled when Jesus the
Messiah was crucified in AD 33 (AD 30 according to some interpreters,
a date, however, that does not easily fit the historical conditions
at the time of Jesus’ death). Second, the people of the prince
who is to come would destroy the city of Jerusalem and the
second temple. The prince who is to come is distinct from
Messiah the Prince but instead is a reference to the future
ruler described as the little horn in Dn 7, also known as the beast
or the antichrist. He, himself, will not be the one who destroys
Jerusalem and the temple, but rather it is his people who will do it.
Since previously Daniel (cf. 7:7–8) viewed this ruler as coming
from the fourth major world power, or Rome, this prophecy predicts
that the Romans would destroy Jerusalem, as they did in AD 70. Third,
there appears to be a significant time gap from the end of the 69th
week to the beginning of the 70th week, as is common in
prophecy. The beginning of the 70th week is yet future.
9:27. The third part of the prophecy is the
prediction of the final seven-year period, or the 70th
week, which will begin when he (the coming prince or the
antichrist) will make a firm covenant of peace with the
many in the leadership of Israel. Although some consider this
prince to be Christ, establishing the new covenant and ending the OT
sacrificial system, it is inconceivable that Messiah would be the one
who would commit the abomination of desolation. Therefore, he is more
accurately identified as the antichrist, who will desecrate the
future temple and stop worship in it. This covenant is yet future and
will mark the beginning of a time of oppression of the Jewish people
called “the time of Jacob’s distress” (Jr 30:7) or the
tribulation period (Mt 24:29; Mk 13:24). In the middle of the
week, or after the first three and one-half years, the antichrist
will break his covenant with Israel, leading to a time of
unprecedented persecution of the Jewish people (Mt 24:21; Mk 13:19)
as well as followers of Jesus (Rv 7:14) that will last for another
three and one-half years (Dn 7:25; Rv 11:2–3; 12:14; 13:5).
When the antichrist breaks his covenant, he will also
put a stop to sacrifice in the yet-to-be rebuilt temple (Dn
7:25). In desecrating the temple and declaring himself to be God (2Th
2:4; Rv 13:5–7), he is said to be one who comes on the wing of
abominations and makes desolate (or as the one who commits
“the abomination of desolation” (see the comments on Mt 24:15 for
evidence supporting the as-yet future fulfillment of the abomination,
and the unlikely fulfillment either under Antiochus or in 70 AD). The
Antichrist’s oppression and abominations will continue until God’s
decree of a complete destruction … is poured out on the
one who makes desolate (11:45; Rv 19:20).
A few evangelicals have identified the coming Prince,
not as the antichrist but Antiochus Epiphanes, leaving open the
possibility that there would be multiple fulfillments of the same
prediction, including Titus in AD 70 and the future antichrist (Pate
and Haines, Doomsday Delusion, 74–75). However, this
contradicts a basic interpretive rule that any biblical text has only
one intended meaning. Second, when Jesus spoke of “the abomination
of desolation” after the time of Antiochus, he viewed it as yet
future (Mt 24:15). Finally, although Antiochus did indeed desecrate
the second temple as a prefiguration of the future antichrist (Dn
11:31), in this verse it speaks of a desecration after the
destruction of the second temple (9:26). Therefore, this indicates
that the one who makes desolate will do so in a yet future
temple, not the one that Antiochus defiled and Titus destroyed.
Finally, the figure here is linked to the little horn of chap. 7. In
Dn 9:27, this one who makes desolate breaks his covenant in
the middle of the 70th week, leading to three and one-half
years before the decreed final judgment is poured out on him.
In Dn 7:25, the little horn carries out his oppression of Israel for
three and one-half years. Significantly, after the judgment of the
little horn, his dominion will be destroyed (7:26) and replaced by
the messianic kingdom (7:27), an event not yet fulfilled in the
defeats of Antiochus or Titus. Thus, identifying the one who makes
desolate with Antiochus does not fit the context and literary
evidence of the book of Daniel.
Daniel’s concern at the outset of the chapter was
God’s restoration of the people of Israel to the land of Israel
after 70 years of captivity. But God’s concern was not with the
past or present but with the future. Therefore, he sent an angel with
a message about His prophetic program for Israel, including the
Messiah’s advent, death, return, and the restoration of Israel.
Much like Daniel, followers of Messiah can become frustrated at the
decay, desecration and corruption of contemporary society and long
for God to take action immediately. Nevertheless, those who have
trusted in Jesus can be encouraged that God has the big picture in
view and that He will certainly fulfill His prophetic calendar and
establish His kingdom on earth.
- Daniel and His Final Vision (10:1–12:13)3
PROPHECY
OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS
Now
here is the prophecy delivered by Gabriel which makes this chapter of
such great importance in the study of eschatology.
And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O
Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment
came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved:
therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision [Dan.
9:22–23].
Notice that Daniel gets an immediate answer to his
prayer. I heard Dr. Gaebelein say that it took him three minute to
read Daniel’s prayer in Hebrew. By the time Daniel finished his
prayer, the angel Gabriel was there. So Dr. Gaebelein reasoned and
explained with a twinkle in his eye, “It took Gabriel three minutes
to get from heaven to earth.” Of course, if Daniel had his eyes
closed while he was praying, it may be that Gabriel was standing on
one foot and then on the other for two minutes, waiting for Daniel to
get finished. The Lord God has promised, “And it shall come to
pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet
speaking, I will hear” (Isa. 65:24).
Note that Daniel was “greatly beloved” in heaven.
That is wonderful. The believer in Jesus Christ is seen by God as
being in Christ. According to Ephesians 1:6 we are accepted in the
Beloved—so the believer is loved in heaven because he is in Christ.
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon
thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of
sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in
everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy,
and to anoint the most Holy [Dan. 9:24].
“Seventy weeks” does not mean weeks of seven days
any more than it means weeks of seven years or seven other periods of
time. The Hebrew word for “seven” is shabua,
meaning “a unit of measure.” It would be comparable to our word
dozen. When it stands alone, it could be a dozen of anything—a
dozen eggs, a dozen bananas. So here, Seventy Weeks means seventy
sevens. It could be seventy sevens of anything. It could be units of
days or months or years. In the context of this verse it is plain
that Daniel has been reading in Jeremiah about years, seventy
years. Jeremiah had been preaching and writing that the captivity
would be for seventy years. The seventy years of captivity were the
specific penalty for violating seventy sabbatic years. That would be
seventy sevens, a total of 490 years. In those 490 years, Israel had
violated exactly seventy sabbatic years; so they would go into
captivity for seventy years. “To fulfil the word of the Lord by the
mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as
long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and
ten years” (2 Chron. 36:21).
1
week = 7 years
70
weeks = 490 years
70
weeks divided into 3 periods:
7
weeks—62 weeks—1 week
Now Daniel was puzzled as to how the end of the seventy
years of captivity would fit into the long period of Gentile world
dominion which the visions in chapters 7 and 8 had so clearly
indicated. He obviously thought that at the end of the seventy years
his people would be returned to the land, the promised Messiah would
come, and the Kingdom which had been promised to David would be
established. How could both be true? It appeared to him, I am sure,
to be an irreconcilable situation created by these seemingly
contradictory prophecies.
The Seventy Weeks, or the seventy sevens, answer two
questions. Israel’s kingdom will not come immediately. The seventy
sevens must run their course. These seventy sevens fit into the Times
of the Gentiles and run concurrently with them. They are broken up to
fit into gentile times. The word for determined literally
means “cutting off.” These seventy sevens are to be cut off, as
the following verses will indicate. The seventy sevens for Israel and
the Times of the Gentiles will both come to an end at the same time,
that is, at the second coming of Christ. This is important to know
for the correct understanding of the prophecy.
The Seventy Weeks concern “thy people,” meaning the
people of Daniel. That would be Israel. And they concern “the holy
city,” which can be none other than Jerusalem. Six things are to be
accomplished in those Seventy Weeks or 490 years. We will see as we
progress in our study that sixty–nine of those “weeks” have
already passed, and one “week” is yet to be fulfilled.
Here are the six things to be accomplished:
1. “To finish the transgression.” This refers to the
transgression of Israel. The cross provided the redemption for
sin—for the sin of the nation, but not all accepted it. Today the
word has gone out to the ends of the earth that there is a redemption
for mankind. But in that last “week” we are told that God says,
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications …” (Zech.
12:10). And in Zechariah 13:1: “In that day there shall be a
fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” That has not been opened
yet. All you have to do is to look at the land of Israel and you will
know this has not been fulfilled.
2. “To make an end of sins.” The national sins of
Israel will come to an end at the second coming of Christ. They are
just like any other people or any other nation. They are sinners as
individuals and as a nation. They have made many mistakes as a nation
(so have we), but God will make an end to that.
3. “To make reconciliation for iniquity.” During
this period of Seventy Weeks, God has provided a redemption through
the death and resurrection of Christ. This, of course, is for Jew and
Gentile alike.
4. “And to bring in everlasting righteousness”
refers to the return of Christ at the end of the 490 years to
establish the Kingdom.
5. “To seal up the vision and prophecy” means that
all will be fulfilled, which will vindicate this prophecy as well as
all other prophecies in Scripture.
6. “To anoint the most Holy” has reference to the
anointing of the holy of holies in the millennial temple about which
Ezekiel spoke (Ezek. 41–46).
Know therefore and understand, that from the going
forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the
Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two
weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in
troublous times.
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be
cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall
come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof
shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are
determined.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one
week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and
the oblation to cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he shall make it
desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be
poured upon the desolate [Dan. 9:25–27].
The starting point for this period of 490 years is
essential to the correct understanding of the prophecy. Since this
period is projected into the Times of the Gentiles, it must fit into
secular history and originate from some date connected with the Times
of the Gentiles. Of course there have been many suggestions for a
starting point: the decree of Cyrus (see Ezra 1:1–4); the decree of
Darius (see Ezra 6:1–12); the decree of Artaxerxes—at the seventh
year of his reign (Ezra 7:11–26); but I feel that the decree of
Artaxerxes in the twentieth year of his reign (Neh. 2:1–8) meets
the requirements of verse 25. The commandment to rebuild the city of
Jerusalem was issued in the month Nisan 445 b.c. That, then, will
**be our starting point.
The first seven weeks of forty–nine years bring us to
397 b.c. and to Malachi and the end of the Old Testament. These were
“troublous times,” as witnessed by both Nehemiah and Malachi.
Sixty–two weeks, or 434 years, bring us to the
Messiah. Sir Robert Anderson in his book, The Coming Prince,
has worked out the time schedule. From the first of the month Nisan
to the tenth of Nisan (April 6) b.c. 32, is 173,880 days. Dividing
them according to the Jewish year of 360 days, he arrives at 483
years (69 sevens). On this day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, offering
Himself for the first time, publicly and officially, as the Messiah.
After the 69 weeks, or 483 years, there is a time break.
Between the sixty–ninth and Seventieth Week two events of utmost
importance are to take place:
1. Messiah will be cut off. This was the crucifixion of
Christ, the great mystery and truth of the gospel: “From that time
forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go
unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third
day” (Matt. 16:21). “That whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15).
2. Destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in b.c.
70, when Titus the Roman was the instrument.
The final “week” (the seventieth), a period of seven
years, is projected into the future and does not follow
chronologically the other sixty–nine. The time gap between the
sixty–ninth and seventieth weeks is the age of grace—unknown to
the prophets (Eph. 3:1–12; 1 Pet. 1:10–12). The Seventieth Week
is eschatological; it is the final period and is yet unfulfilled.
“The prince” is a Roman; he is the “little horn”
of Daniel 7; he is “the beast” of Revelation 13. After the church
is removed from the earth, he will make a covenant with Israel.
Israel will accept him as her Messiah, but in the midst of the “week”
he will break his covenant by placing an image in the temple (Rev.
13). This is the abomination of desolation. What Israel thought to be
the Millennium will turn out to be the Great Tribulation (Matt.
24:15–26). Only the coming of Christ can end this frightful period
(Matt. 24:27–31).
My friend, you and I are living in the age of grace, and
the Seventieth Week of Daniel, the Great Tribulation, as the Lord
Jesus called it, is yet to take place.
1
McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru
the Bible commentary: The Prophets (Daniel)
(electronic ed., Vol. 26, pp. 184–186). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2
Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be
resolute (pp. 130–136). Colorado Springs, CO:
Victor.
4
McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru
the Bible commentary: The Prophets (Daniel)
(electronic ed., Vol. 26, pp. 152–158). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
